Capability Summary
Materials joining is an extremely complex multi-disciplinary field that combines a wide range of basic and engineering sciences such as physics, materials science, thermodynamics, high-temperature chemistry, transport phenomena, mathematical modeling, computer science, and a variety of engineering fields including mechanical, chemical, and electrical engineering. ORNL’s materials joining research connects science and technology to provide solutions and innovations in materials joining, such as welding and additive manufacturing, to a wide range of industry sectors.
The ORNL team has award winning advanced modeling capability for process and performance of welded structures, along with state-of-the-art welding equipment for welding dissimilar and high-temperature materials. Specialized characterization and testing experiment capabilities are used to investigate highly non-uniform microstructure and associated complex structural and functional performance of welded structures.
Equipment & Facilities
- Computational weld materials science and mechanics
- Autonomous welding – machine learning and adaptive control
- Filler metal development
- Additive manufacturing
- Dissimilar metal welding and weldability testing
- Inert chamber welding
- Weld characterization
- Solid-state processes
- Beam processes
- Arc processes
Contact
Dr. Zhili Feng is a Distinguished R&D Staff and leader of the Materials Joining Group at ORNL, specializing in materials joining and manufacturing innovation. He holds a Ph.D. in Welding Engineering from The Ohio State University and degrees in Mechanical and Materials Engineering from Tsinghua University. Dr. Feng is a Fellow of both the American Welding Society and the International Institute of Welding, and a two-time R&D 100 Award winner. His work advances welding science, residual stress control, dissimilar materials joining and neutron-based microstructure analysis for energy and automotive applications. For more information on collaborations, contact Dr. Feng at [email protected].